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Wisconsin Department of Revenue

 Wisconsin Electronic Filing Program Information
for Tax Professionals

Tax professionals that produce returns for electronic transmission are called Electronic Return Originators (EROs). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must approve all EROs.

How to become an authorized Electronic Return Originator (ERO) with the State of Wisconsin

  1. Tax professionals must submit federal Form 8633 to the IRS. Form 8633 is the application to participate in the Federal Electronic Tax Administration e-filing Program. For more information about the IRS application process, visit their web site or call the IRS regional office in Milwaukee at (414) 297-3574.

  2. Once the IRS has accepted you as an ERO, you will automatically be accepted as an authorized ERO in Wisconsin. As a tax professional you should be in good standing with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for both business and personal tax liabilities.

  3. Wisconsin Department of Revenue will no longer send out acceptance letters. Publication 115, 2008 Handbook for Federal/State Electronic Filing, is available to download from our website.

  4. The WDOR has a data base on our website for taxpayers to locate a tax preparer in their area. Please check out our website at http://www.revenue.wi.gov/eserv/city/index.html to see if you are on the data base and that all your information is correct. If you need to add or change any information please contact us by phone, fax or e-mail.

Steps to electronically file Wisconsin income tax returns

  1. Tax Professionals select their tax preparation software.

    Software developers create tax preparation software with the capability to transmit electronic returns using an Internet connection or a modem. Tax professionals purchase this software and use it to prepare federal and state returns. All e-filing software that includes Wisconsin must pass testing with both the IRS and DOR.

    • For more information about choosing electronic filing software, visit the IRS web site for Tax Professionals.
    • For information about approved Wisconsin software, please review the table below.

    Product Name, Company, Address Forms/Schedules
    Not Supported
    Telephone Fax State
    Only
    ATX
    www.atxinc.com
    PO Box 1040
    Caribou, ME 04736
      (877) 728-9776 (800) 285-5076 Yes
    Crosslink/Petz Enterprises Inc
    www.petzent.com
    PO Drawer 611
    Tracey, CA 95578-0611
    DC, DM, EC, FC, IE, MS, 1NPR (209) 835-2720
    (800) 345-4337
    (209) 835-2720 Yes
    Drake Software
    www.drakesoftware.com
    235 E Palmer St
    Franklin, NC 28734
      (800) 890-9500 (828) 369-9928 Yes
    eSmartTax/C&S Technologies
    www.eSmartTax.com
    920 Hillview Ct Ste 250
    Milpitas, CA
    DC, HR, MS, TC, U, VC (408) 935-8468 (408) 941-2022 Yes
    FileYourTaxes.com
    www.FileYourTaxes.com
    PO Box 7657
    Oxnard, CA 93031
    DC, DI, FC, HR, MS, OS, TC, U, 1NPR taxman@FileYourTaxes.com   Yes
    GoSystem RS/GoSystems CD
    www.thomson.com
    2395 Midway Rd
    Carrollton, TX 75006
    1A, WIZ, DC, HR, TC, VC, 1NPR (800) 327-8829   Yes
    H & R Block/Rapid Refund
    www.hrblock.com
    545 Metro Place S Ste 750
    Dublin, OH 43017
    MS, MT     Yes
    Direct Alliance/ACA Inc
    109 S Water St
    Kent, OH 44240
    DC, HR, MS, RS, TC, VC, VSS (800) 454-3072 OR (330) 678-8899 (330) 678-5669 Yes
    Intellitax Classic/Orrtax
    www.orrtax.com
    15395 SE 30th Pl, Ste 300
    Bellevue, WA 98007
    DC, DI, FC, I, IE, MS, OS, TC, VC, 1NPR (800) 377-3337 OR (425) 649-8291 (425) 372-0072 Yes
    La Certe
    www.lacertesoftware.com
    5601 Headquarters Dr
    Plano, TX 75024
    MS, RS, DC, HR, TC, VC, VSS (800) 765-7777 (214) 387-2791 Yes
    Liberty Tax Service
    www.libertytax.com
    1716 Corporate Landing Pkwy
    Virginia Beach, VA 23454
    1A, WIZ, HEZ, MS, DC, HR, DI, FC, TC, VC, VSS, 1NPR (800) 790-3863 (757) 493-8855 Yes
    Max1040/1040 Office/ATX
    www.atxinc.com
    PO Box 1040
    Caribou, ME 04736
      (877) 728-9776 (800) 285-5076 Yes
    OnLine Taxes Pro
    oltpro.com
    724 Jules St.
    St. Joseph, MO 64501
      (813) 232-0045
    states@olt.com
    (816) 232-1460 Yes
    ProSeries/Intuit
    www.proseries.com
    www.intuit.com
    6220 Greenwich Dr Ste 100
    San Diego, CA 92122
    WIZ, DC, HR, MS, RS, TC, VSS, 1NPR (800) 374-7317
    (800) 934-1040
    (800) 645-7036 Yes
    Prosystemfx/CCH Inc
    www.tax.cchgroup.com
    9111 E Douglas
    Wichita, KS 67207
    2440W, WIZ (800) 739-9998
    (316) 612-5000
    (316) 612-3405 Yes
    Profiler
    www.JacksonHewitt.com
    100 Arthur Anderson Pkwy
    Ste 200
    Sarasota, FL 34232
    DC, DI, FC, HR, MS, MT, RS, TC, U VC, 1NPR (800) 475-2904 (941) 379-7040 Yes, if federal filed thru Profiler
    Softax06
    www.softax-inc.com
    130 Crestview Dr
    Maplewood, MN 55119
    MS, VC (800) 279-5318 (651) 731-8011 Yes
    TaxAct/2nd Story Software
    www.taxact.com
    5925 Dry Creek Lane NE
    Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
    Sch. FC, MS, and 1NPR (800) 573-4287 (319) 447-4674 Yes
    TaxExactPro
    www.taxexactpro.com
    8408 Arrow St.
    Savannah, GA 31406
    1NPR, 1A, HR, WIZ, DC, TC, VSS (866) 992-1040 (912) 927-0509 Yes
    TAX$IMPLE
    www.taxsimple.us
    8 Emery Ave
    Randolph, NJ 07869
    DC, HR, TC, WIZ (866) 729-7798 (973) 366-5877 Yes
    TaxSlayer Pro
    www.TaxSlayerpro.com
    610 Ronald Reagan Dr
    Evans, GA 30809
    DC, DM, IE, VC, HR, MS, T, TC, WIZ, 1A (888) 420-1040 (706) 868-0263 Yes
    Taxsoftware.com
    PO Box 347
    Glen Echo, MD 20812
    U (301) 320-7080 or info@taxsoftware.com (301) 320-1216 Yes
    TaxVision/NTS
    www.netslink.com
    205 Enterprise Dr.
    Pekin, IL 61554
    DC, VC, TC, HR (800) 687-1096   Yes
    TaxWise/Universal Tax Systems, Inc.
    www.taxwise.com
    6 Mathis Dr.
    Rome, GA 30165
    HEZ, 1A, WIZ, DC, VC (800) 755-9473 (706) 624-4256 Yes, if federal filed thru Taxwise
    Taxworks
    www.taxworks.com
    350 N 400 W
    Kaysville, UT 84037
    DC, HR, MS, TC, VC (800) 230-2322 (801) 529-9150 Yes
    TurboTax Intuit
    www.turbotax.intuit.com
    7535 Torrey Santa Fe Rd
    San Diego, CA 92129
    DC, DI, DM, EC, HR, IE, MS, RS, TC, VC, WIX, 1NPR (800) 782-9430   No
    Ultra Tax
    www.creativesolutions.com
    7322 Newman Blvd.
    Dexter, MI 48130
      (800) 968-8900 (734) 426-3750 Yes

  2. Tax Professionals electronically transmit tax return information.

    A federal and state return can be transmitted together as one electronic message to the IRS in one of two ways:

    1. Direct transmission to the IRS. EROs choosing the "direct" transmission method will have to test the compatibility of their modems with the IRS.
    2. Transmission to a third party software company. EROs choosing the "third party" method do not have to go through compatibility testing with the IRS.

    Wisconsin electronic returns are processed at the IRS Service Center in Kansas City, MO.

  3. IRS receives the electronic transmission, matches the social security number to the name on the return, and acknowledges receipt of the federal return.

    Once the IRS receives the transmission, the federal return is either accepted or rejected based on established criteria. The IRS will generate a federal acknowledgment the following business day that indicates receipt of the return as well as its processing status. If the federal return is rejected, the acknowledgment will state why and list the detected errors.

    The DOR does not receive any state return information associated with a rejected federal return.

    Information about ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

    1. If returns are transmitted to a software company, the federal and state acknowledgments will be sent back to the software company. EROs retrieve federal and state acknowledgments from their software providers.
    2. If the returns are transmitted directly to the IRS, the federal and state acknowledgment will be sent directly back to the ERO.
    3. The federal acknowledgment is issued within 24 hours of the original transmission.
    4. Wisconsin acknowledgments will be available 48 to 72 hours after transmission of tax returns. However, during the off-season Wisconsin acknowledgments will be available only one time per week.

  4. Wisconsin Department of Revenue receives the state return from the IRS.

    The Wisconsin tax return data associated with an accepted federal return will be forwarded to the DOR for processing. This usually occurs the day after the federal acceptance. Therefore, the DOR typically receives the state return two days after the initial transmission to the IRS. The DOR begins processing the same day the data is received from the IRS.

  5. A State-Only return may be filed, if your software developer supports it.

    The return is still transmitted through the IRS. Transmissions must be accomplished according to IRS procedures. All Wisconsin returns must include a copy of the corresponding federal return in the unformatted records. Possible reasons to file a State-Only return:

    1. No federal filing requirement
    2. Federal return has already been filed
    3. Filing as married filing separate
    4. Original state filing was rejected

    In the State-Only program, the state data is made available to Wisconsin Department of Revenue within 24 hours for retrieval.

    If your software vendor supports State-Only and your Wisconsin return was rejected, you can resubmit the return.

  6. Form W-RA Wisconsin required attachments for electronic filing.

Retained by the ERO for four years unless notified by the DOR:

Sent by the ERO to the DOR within 48 hours after Wisconsin acknowledgment is received.

Returns that Include ERO or Taxpayer Instructions Using the U.S. Postal Service Using a Private Mail Service Provider
Homestead Credit Claim Mail form W-RA * along with all the required attachments (W-2s, W-2Gs, 1099-Rs, original rent certificate(s) or copies of the 2007 property tax bill(s) payable in 2008, homestead credit notes, schedules, deeds, legal documents and statements, and all Schedule H attachments listed in the 2007 Schedule H instructions). Wisconsin Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 8977
Madison, WI 53708-8977
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Historic Rehabilitation Credit Mail in Form W-RA * with all the required attachments in the 2007 Schedule HR instructions (A copy of the final certification of completed work from the National Park Service, for properties not yet listed in the National Register of Historic Places, attach a copy of the signed letter from the National Park Service certifying that the completed rehabilitation meets the “Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation”. If you haven’t received the final certification by the time the tax return is filed, attach a copy of the “Historic Preservation Certification (Part 2 – Description of Rehabilitation).” Attach a copy of the final certification of completed work to the first income tax return filed after receipt of the final certification along with an explanation of the amount and the years in which the credit was claimed. If the credit is passed through from a partnership, LLC treated as a partnership, tax option (S) corporation, estate, or trust, attach a copy of your Schedule 3K-1, 5-K1, or 2K-1 instead of the final certification.). Wisconsin Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Development Zone Credit Mail in Form W-RA * with all the required attachments in the 2007 Schedule DC instructions (A copy of your certification for tax benefits issued by the Department of Commerce and a statement from the Department of Commerce verifying the amount of the investment and verifying that the property is qualified property or a statement from the Department of Commerce verifying the amount of credit for environment remediation and for job creation or retention. If the development zones credit is passed through from a tax option (S) corporation, partnership, LLC treated as a partnership, estate, or trust, attach a copy of your Schedule 5K-1, 3K-1, or 2K-1 instead of the above information. Wisconsin Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Technology Zone Credit Mail the Form W-RA * with all the required attachments in the 2007 Schedule TC instructions (A copy of your certification for tax benefits issued by the Department of Commerce, a statement from the Department of Commerce verifying the amount of your credits for property taxes paid, capital investments made, and wages paid for jobs created in a technology zone. If the technology zone credit is passed through from a tax option (S) corporation, partnership, LLC treated as a partnership, estate, or trust, attach a copy of your Schedule 5K-1, 3K-1, or 2K-1 instead of the above information). Wisconsin Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Internet Equipment Credit Mail the W-RA * along with all the required attachments listed in the 2007 Schedule IE instructions (a copy of your certification issued by the Department of Commerce and verification of expenses, also from the Department of Commerce). Wisconsin Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Enterprise Zone Jobs Credit Mail the W-RA * along with all required attachments in the 2007 Schedule EC instructions (a copy of your certification and verification of expenses both from the Department of Commerce). Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Farmland Preservation Unit
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Dairy Manufacturing Facility Investment Credit Mail the W-RA * along with all required attachments in the 2007 Schedule DM instructions (a copy of your certification from the Department of Commerce). Wisconsin Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Farmland Preservation Credit Claim Mail Form W-RA * along with all the required attachments (W-2s, W-2Gs, 1099-Rs, real estate tax bills, and all other Schedule FC attachments listed in the 2007 Schedule FC instructions). Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Farmland Preservation Unit
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit Mail the W-RA * along with real estate tax bill(s) for all taxes paid in 2007 and DVA (Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs) verification, if required. Wisconsin Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713
Model Form - Wisconsin Lesislators Making IRC Section 162(h) Election Mail the W-RA * along with a copy of the 2007 Model Form. Wisconsin Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 8967
Madison, WI 53708-8967
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Mail Stop 1-151
2135 Rimrock Rd.
Madison, WI 53713

* Form W-RA is provided by your tax professional or is part of your software package or web-based filing program. It may be printed from your computer.

Retained by taxpayer in case required to submit at a later date.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
Electronic Filing Unit
P.O. Box 8949
Madison, WI 53708-8949
Phone: (608) 264-6886
Fax: (608) 266-9829
E-Mail Additional Questions

Last updated January 18, 2008